Surprises (Working title)
by VanillaSpecs
Summary: Gladio pines after his best friend and assumes Ignis is oblivious, he knows more than he lets on however. If Noct and Prompto have any say, their friends will face up to their feelings- Added help or not. Through the ups and downs, good times and bad times, Gladio refuses to give up and tries to muster his courage to face his feelings alone. -Cover: Screenshot from my steam account
1. Chapter 1

Even with Ignis blindfolded and handicapped, he can still avoid the swipes of Gladio's greatsword, retaliating with vicious precision and grace. Something Gladio can only hope to achieve but knows it's far from possible with his physique, of course he's in perfect shape but he's built for being a shield and therefore is bulky and large, muscular and heavy compared to the agile and flexible build of his sandy-haired friend.

"Hey, can we take a breather? I wanna ask you something," Gladio said between heavy breaths, parrying the thrust from Ignis' lance. The Advisor haled his advances and pulling the blindfold up to his forehead, staring curiously at the Shield-to-be.

"Of course. What's on your mind?" The curiosity was mirrored in his voice, the heavy accent hitting Gladio's ears like music.

The elder sat down with a thud, his greatsword falling beside him with a loud clang, Ignis pulled the blindfold off and let it fall to the mat, abandoning his lance beside it with more care than Gladio. "I uh- There's a thing at school and I was wondering with you'd wanna come, Noct and Prompto are coming so thought I'd invite you too," The larger boy kept his gaze trained on the floor as he spoke, barely audible to the other boy.

"Unfortunately I have a prior engagement. Besides, I doubt the school will take kindly to students from other institutions attending," Ignis' voice was unwavering as his stare, studying his companion as if trying to deduce a motive for such a question. "Nah I get it, thought it was a long shot. It ain't so important you and I gotta be present so didn't think you'd come," The disappointment, however hard Gladio tried to hide it, was as clear as day to Ignis and he felt a little guilty for declining.

After a moment of silence the pair mutually agreed to finish their sparring session, not through words but through the silence and slight hostility. Gladio just watched Ignis leave to the locker room with a longing stare, young and hopeless. Though Gladio is flirtatious with both men and women at the best of times so that gives Ignis no reason to think of his interactions with the Shield as anything more than playful banter or purely platonic, and Gladio is having an internal conflict about how he actually feels about his best friend, it's safe to say he loves him completely but whether it's friendly, brotherly or romantic is a mystery. Needless to say, Gladio is utterly confused about what he feels and what he wants.

The event that the young Shield was referring to was the winter school dance, a themed one to be precise, the theme this year happened to be masquerade and both Noctis and Prompto were ecstatic about making their masks, given they could just buy one that looks nicer than the monstrosities they created. Much to Ignis' dismay when it came to cleaning Noct's apartment, glue and glitter everywhere, ribbons stuck in odd places and paper cuttings scattered around the entire apartment like Noctis had been walking while being creative.

"Hey Gladdy, what's up? Lil early for you to be finished training isn't it?"

"Uh yeah, Iggy and I decided to finish up early, Iris you gotta stop playing matchmaker alright?"

"What? Why? What happened?"

"Nothin', look I'm gonna be home in a sec, mind grabbing my stuff outta my closet? I'll talk to you about it later,"

"... Alright… See you in a sec,"

Iris was the one that told Gladio to ask Ignis to the dance, she noticed her elder brother's internal struggle, add that with how much he blabs on about the younger boy while he's at home and it's like they're already a couple. They certainly bicker like an old married couple and act like the mom and dad of the retinue. She's known Ignis as long as Gladio has, often seeing the Advisor around when she went to visit Gladio, play with Noct or when her father brought her along for a while. The boy always aimed to please and overworked himself, even as a child, younger than 17 that is. The caffeine addiction also started when he was younger, to compensate the lost hours of sleep due to too much school work, studies for his future role and more as he grew older and more responsible. Gladio took it upon himself to make sure his best friend went home, slept and ate enough, as well as get the odd day or two off to chill and be a normal person. Those days became rarer and rarer however.

As soon as Gladio got home he immediately hopped in the shower, since he didn't use the ones back at the training hall out of fear of seeing too much of Ignis, the very person plaguing his mind. The last thing he needed was a boner in the shower over him, though the excuse of having an overactive imagination and having young adult hormones might work. Might being the key word.

"Oooo~ Don't you look snazzy, not going in a full suit ay, Gladdy?" Iris wiggled her eyebrows at her brother, eyes focused on his outfit for this evening.

The Shield could easily have gone in his usual jeans and tank top but for the sake of it being his last high school event, aside from Graduation, he dressed semi-smartly. A pale blue shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black dress pants accompanied with dress shoes. Hair clean and restyled casually, he was growing it out so it looked odd at the moment since it was at that irritating length, plain white eye mask hung loosely around his neck.

"Yeah yeah… You gonna be okay till Dad gets back? I don't like leaving you alone at night," Gladio mumbled when he was being brotherly, more than he usually was anyway. He was fully ready to knock someone out if he needed to for Iris' sake, but expressing it with words had him embarrassed because she would often tease him about it.

"I'll be fine, I've got pizza money and Dad won't be home too late today, mainly cause he knows you're not here…" Iris' spoke with love him her voice when it came to her father but she sorely missed having him around, he was always caught up in work with the King but both his children understood his position. "Hey… Don't be so bummed about Ignis, y'know he's always working, maybe he'll be free after so you can surprise him."

The little minx always knew how to cheer him up. "You make it sound better than it actually is, y'know that? I'm used to getting what I want 'cause I know how to get it but this guy is gonna be the end of me, I dunno if I even have a chance Iris, I still dunno what kinda love it is…" Gladio trailed off, bringing his mask to its proper place and flashing a smile at his sister.

"Either way- You two are real close so I hope it works out. Now go! Have fun and say 'Hi' to Noct for me!" She practically shoved him out of the door, tossing his tie to him after with a warm smile.

The high school wasn't far from where the Amicitia house was situated, within suitable walking distance for sure. Thankfully the weather held up so it wasn't exactly sunshine and heat waves but wasn't raining and only minorly chilly, ideal weather for clearing one's head and going for a stroll. As Gladio passed the cafe on the corner he remembered each time he'd gone there with Ignis, the latter being a lover of coffee in any shape or form, with each visit came fleeting conversations and glances that lasted a second too long- On Gladio's part that is- Ignis kept his professional demeanor and his walls as high as ever. It made the Shield wonder who hurt the poor kid. The more he thought about it, the more he realised he knew very little about Ignis' family or the future Advisor himself, he knew the bare minimum and perhaps a few deeper details that were let slip or found out over the years.

"Hey! You made it! Iggy not coming with?" Noctis came strolling over, Prompto on his heels dressed equally as smart, if not smarter than Gladio himself who now dorned the tie Iris threw at him.

"Nah, he's busy, c'mon let's go." Gladio tried to hide his disappointment but Noctis just frowned after his Shield, Prompto shrugging his shoulders.

"Think he's bummed about it?"

"Definitely. Don't tell him I told you- But- He has eyes for Iggy, like real bad," The smug look on the Prince's face matched with Prompto's knowing stare made Gladio feel uncomfortable to say the least.

The gymnasium had be transformed into a beautifully decorated room resembling a ballroom. Decorations hung from the ceiling and the pillars, tables laden with various foods and white tablecloths, chairs kept at the edges of the room to be out of the way but accessible and a DJ stand could be spotted at the end of the hall. Now ordinarily Gladio might be willing to dance and mess around with girls, many swooning after him for one reason or another, but the one person he wants to be here isn't. The one person he wants to mess around with and dance with has a busy life, one that Gladio struggles finding his place in.

Noctis dressed in a normal white shirt and black blazer, black skinny jeans and ankle high boots, he didn't wear a tie and the first button of his shirt was undone. Looks as though the glitter covering his apartment was exaggerated, Noct's eye mask was covered in blue and silver glitter. If Ignis could see him now, he'd probably freak out and try smarten him up. Prompto didn't look much different than Gladio, but instead of a blue shirt he wore a plain white button up and didn't have a tie either, unlike Noctis; Prompto sported a toned down mask, simply coloured red with a few white sequins as accents. His camera hung around his neck too.

The three friends stuck to one of the corners of the room, talking and joking among themselves until Noctis or Prompto would get dragged off for a dance or two, leaving Gladio alone for most of the night, not like it was a bad thing but he wasn't having as much fun as he would like. Maybe if his mind could shut out the boy plaguing his thoughts for just one night, just maybe he could chill out and let loose. The music was good, the atmosphere was nice and he had friends to hang with, maybe he could even find someone to replace his current interest, since it was nearly impossible and improbable it would be anything more than that.

That was his train of thought until he heard that damn accent, for a second Gladio thought his mind was messing with him, that he was imagining Ignis' voice. But no. After a few moments of frantic searching his eyes locked onto a familiar shade of sandy hair and a smile that melted his heart. There was no more confusion at this point, after seeing that smile Gladio knew that what he felt for Ignis wasn't merely friendship or brotherly love, it was so much more than that. His throat went dry as that intense green gaze settled on him, as though Ignis were pinning him there with his eyes alone. It took a second for Gladio to snap out of his trance and follow his mind, practically jogging to his friends side and stealing him away from his… Friendly female classmates.

"You look as though you've seen a ghost Gladio, are you alright?" There was an underlying tone of amusement in Ignis' voice, a coy grin rising on his face at Gladio's lapse.

"You said you were busy… I dunno if I wanna kiss you or strangle you," Gladio muttered that second part but his friend obviously heard it.

The coy grin was replaced with a neutral expression. "I for one would rather not be strangled, and- I never said I was busy- Merely that I had a prior engagement. Which I did and it just so happened I finished earlier than anticipated. Would you rather I leave?"

"So you ain't opposed to a kiss? I'm kiddin'... 'Course I want you to stay dumbass, you just surprised me is all. What's with the get-up? Your suits at the dryers?"

Ignis merely chuckled and sighed heavily. "Well, if I intended to blend in and surprise you, so I needed to look the part. I was here a full half hour before you realised, what gave me away?"

"You're damn accent, no-one round here has that posh kid voice of yours, still you look good. I mean it, you look normal for once and it suits you, loving the bedhead by the way, you nap before and use hairspray?" Gladio quickly brightened up now that his regular banter with his best friend was here.

Although he wasn't certainly lying about Ignis' looking good, not that he didn't on a regular basis, the guy is like walking perfection and it's damn near impossible to ruffle his feathers. Now however, the three piece suit had been abandoned in favour of a plain black button down, black jeans and black trainers, the first 3 buttons of the shirt were open and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His usually pristine sandy hair was now looking like a bedhead; sticking up at odd angles but it didn't look bad at all, just the opposite in fact. Hell even his glasses had been discarded this evening, donning a black and silver eye mask instead.

"Not all of us need hair product for a natural look Gladio, you clean up nicely yourself, I actually feel quite under dressed standing beside you, even though you aren't dressed overly smart. As for the accent, I'm afraid I can't shake it, I didn't intend on being within earshot of you this early but… Not all plans work out, hm?" There was a light in Ignis' eyes that made Gladio feel flustered and warm, those damn eyes were mesmerizing but he couldn't look into them for too long, mistakes could be made and Gladio would do anything not to jeopardise his friendship.

"Maybe not… Hey, wanna get outta here? I need some air," Gladio said, he did want to leave but he was unsure of what Ignis would say to that, especially since he seems to be in a good mood.

The Advisor was silent and stared off in the crowd for a second, turning his gaze back to Gladio with an innocent grin. "Certainly."

The larger boy took his smaller counterpart by the hand and lead him through the crowd, ignoring the astonished and curious stares as he passed his classmates, Noct and Prompto could be seen at the end of the hall gawking at the pair. Ignis didn't seem to mind much. Inside it was warm and stuffy but outside it was chilly and crisp, the fresh air was a welcome relief to both boys after spending so long surrounded by people. It was even snowing a little, much to the surprise of the pair.

Gladio had a hard time keeping his eyes focused anywhere but the wonderful boy beside him. The lighting from the street lamps illuminating his features and the snow caught in his tawny hair only made Gladio want to take a picture, catch this moment forever since it was such a rare occurrence. Instead he settled for creating a mental image, taking in every detail; The fresh snow sticking to the messy locks, the lights emphasising his facial features just right, nose slightly red from the chill, lips curved in a content smile, green eyes ablaze with a fire Gladio only wished he'd been able to see. Truely picture perfect.

"Gladio…" Ignis' voice cut through his daydream, Gladio once again the focus of that intense stare. "Is there something on your mind? I've seen the same look on your face on Noct plenty of times, namely when he's got a secret he's itching to tell."

The Shield felt himself blushing at Ignis' sudden question. "You got me. I've got a secret- That I wanna tell- But I dunno if I should let it slip." Ignis just gave him a puzzle look, a slight frown on his brow, averting his eyes to look elsewhere.

"That so? Seems to me you've been considering it for a while now. Would you like my opinion?"

Gladio could feel his hands sweating in his pockets, gaze shifting from Ignis to the sky and back again. "Sure. Any sage words of Advisor wisdom for me?"

"Perhaps. The simplest solution would be to talk about it, the more… Difficult solution- So to speak- Is to continue to make yourself suffer by staying quiet." He didn't look at Gladio until he finished and a moment after, glancing over at his older friend as if analysing him.

"Are you ever wrong?" Gladio risked a hefty laugh, his grin widening when he glimpsed that sweet smile appearing on Ignis' face.

"It's certainly a rarity. Regardless, you know you can confide in me if you need to."

Gladio opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, unsure of whether it's wise to speak up or stay quiet. Sure it was unlikely Ignis would scold him tremendously for having feelings but its the effect it could have on their relationship that worried him.

"I'll think about it, thanks Iggy. C'mon, I'll buy you a coffee, better than going back in there."

Ignis said nothing more but followed after a brief glance at Noct, who he knew was perched with Prompto behind the shrubs, the Prince's friend almost choking on his water when Ignis winked at him subtly.

"Dude! He just winked at me! Iggy just winked!"

"Shut up fanboy!"


	2. Chapter 2

Following the events of the night of the dance, Noctis and Prompto have been hard at work. To Ignis' dismay, their efforts aren't homework orientated, rather they're conspiring to make Gladio or Ignis confess their feelings for the other. By any means necessary. Though that also means dodging Ignis' curious gaze or cleverly phrased questions, thankfully despite the bespeckled boys sharpness, he hadn't figured out their plans yet. It isn't as though the boys had been overly secret about their secret, everytime Ignis would speak one of them would be far too guilty or far from inconspicuous.

"Prompto..."

"Tell him nothing! He's working his nerd powers on your weak mind- Ow!" Noctis abruptly stopped shouting when Gladio elbowed him in the gut 'by accident'.

Prompto then resorted to repeatedly chanting 'la la la' very loudly with his fingers in his ears, in the middle of the library, to which both Gladio and Ignis sighed in defeat. The latter apologising to the librarian for the racket and his companions behaviour. Ushering the boys out as quickly as possible to avoid further trouble.

The entire car journey was tense. Noctis and Prompto huddled together in the back seats, keeping their voices low and out of earshot, that didn't stop Gladio threatening to beat the secret out of them and Ignis shooting them all his stern parental glare. Even the imposing figure that is Gladio was scared of the bespeckled boy at times, Ignis was one of those people that remained calm and cold when angry, leaving their true wrath to speculation and imagination. Although despite his calm exterior, the Advisors sharp words always hit home in the worst way when he meant it.

For the most part of that journey Ignis kept his eyes fixed on the road, however there were times his gaze shifted to Gladio who sat beside him. The Shield was sat with his brow furrowed, elbow rested on the door and his chin rested on his palm or the back of his hand to his cheek, needless to say he was in deep thought about something.

"Hey Iggy, can we grab pizza for dinner? I'm starved…" Noctis even gave Ignis his best puppy eyes, the latter catching his eye in the rearview mirror. Prompto joined in on the effort, pleading and whining about something or other.

Ignis was doing well in his attempts to ignore the boys but even Gladio betrayed him. Flashing his own puppy eyes to which even the stoic Advisor couldn't resist.

"Igs. Iggy. Ma man. Pizza sounds like a gods send right now. I love cup noodles and your cooking but…" To Gladio's poor excuse of an argument, Ignis feigned offense, even pouting for effect.

That had Gladio grinning and forcing himself to look away, a faint blush rising on his cheeks but lost under his tanned skin and the shadows in the car. It may have been out of Ignis' view but Noctis and Prompto noticed and were snickering in the backseat, even after Gladio shot them a death stare or two and a silent threat of a beating.

"Now, now, children behave. If you're all so averse to my cooking, where do you want go? I for one will not drive around for aimlessly while you decide, so-" That second Ignis pulled into a parking spot outside an apartment complex, turning around in his seat to face the others.

Prompto hummed as he thought of the best place to go, Noctis frowned and Gladio stared at his lap. This was getting them nowhere and achieving nothing but testing Ignis' patience, which was wearing thin after a long day and the library incident.

"Oh-! What about that place near the art museum? That sounds nice and it's pretty cheap," Prompto looked at his friends expectantly, a hesitant smile plastered on his face to break the tension.

"Any objections?" Ignis looked at each of them in turn, taking their silence as a no. "Well then. I shall take you there but I will not be joining you, Noct, will you be alright staying with Prompto this evening?"

A brief glance at his blonde friend followed by a nod and large grin had Ignis starting the engine once more. Unlike his younger companions, Gladio was regretting his decision for pizza. If it meant he was stuck with Noct and Prompto, it was a bad choice, Ignis was the one person that kept him semi-sane with dumb and dumber.

Rather than faff around trying to park in the restaurant car park, Ignis parked across the road. Noctis and Prompto scrambling out with a flurry of 'thanks' and 'see ya later'. To his curiosity, Gladio was still sat in the passenger seat and showed no signs of moving.

"Go ahead Princess, enjoy your date with Shortcake, imma stick with Iggy."

"Whatever you say big guy, don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"Thanks Iggy! See ya later guys!"

Ignis rolled his eyes and waved them off, turning to face Gladio with a puzzled look. The elder boy was determined not to let up his piercing stare, trying to see through Ignis' unbreakable mask and walls. Unfortunately unyielding emerald eyes stared straight back at him, baring into his very resolve like it was childsplay.

"Alright, alright, you win. Stop staring at me like that." Gladio huffed. Defeat made worse by Ignis' triumphant smirk.

"Admirable attempt I'll give you that. Though might I ask why you chose to stay with me? After offending me as well."

"Changed my mind. Besides, I barely spend time with my bestie. So! I think; We should go to the store, grab some snacks, find a movie and chill." It was Gladio that wore the smirk now, Ignis' face flushed a faint pink and his ears a bright red.

"Ah. I had planned to finish some work but… I suppose it can wait until tomorrow. Did you have something in mind?"

"Hmm… What're you in the mood for?"

"I don't quite fancy a romance that's for certain. Sorry to disappoint, I know you're fond of them."

Gladio groaned and scoffed, dramatising the whole thing. "Alright. What about… A horror? There's supposed to be a few good ones out at the moment." Ignis just smiled in response and Gladio took that as a yes.

Eventually, after an hour of running around after Gladio in the supermarket and cringing at the amount of sugary products he purchased, Ignis parked the car outside his apartment complex. The realisation that Gladio hadn't actually been to his apartment before now hit him like a truck, it took Gladio poking his cheek to bring him out of his minor panic.

"Earth to Iggy, you in there?" Gladio looked mildly concerned until his friend snapped back to reality.

"My apologies. It just occurred to me that you haven't been here before."

"Oh yeah, guess I get to finally see your safe space, eh? I expect a fancy ass kitchen."

Rather than prolong the inevitable with mindless banter, Ignis ushered his companion upstairs and warned him to be quiet. Gladio was half tempted to test how far Ignis' patience would stretch but he also knew the younger boy was capable of kicking his ass.

Upon entering the apartment Gladio was in awe at how organised and tidy it was, well compared to his own place anyway. It was also considerably nicer, for starters Ignis was graced with a view of the city through long windows. The color scheme seemed to be black, grey and a creamy colour, some light blue could be seen but that was namely the shelves. Of course there was a clean and neatly organised kitchen joined with the living room, another door lead to what must be a bedroom and another for the bathroom supposedly, a couple of storage closets next to that.

"Nice pad Iggy, I'm actually kinda jealous." Gladio was sincere but his coy smile suggested otherwise, a fault that couldn't be fixed unfortunately.

"Yes well, It's hardly comparable to the Amicitia household, however, it is comfortable and manageable. Make yourself at home, but please, refrain from making too much of a mess." Gladio flashed a grin at Ignis request, knowing full well how the tawny haired boy hated mess, even if his hair was one such thing naturally.

Anyone that knew Ignis also knew that he loathed ambiguity. He purposely made himself as presentable as possible on all occasions, donned glasses to have crystal clear vision and even spent at least an hour taming his unruly hair in the morning or after a shower. Unruly or no, Gladio wanted to touch it. So to say he kept his apartment spick and span would be an understatement.

While Gladio explored Ignis' home to its extent, the other had disappeared elsewhere. He eventually returned and took a seat on the left side of the couch, Gladio barely recognised him truth be told. He'd never explicitly seen how Ignis dressed for bed or casually for that matter but right now the boy looked years younger; He'd shed his professional attire for a simple tshirt and shorts, seeming to have also showered in the time Gladio was snooping because his hair was damp and stuck up at odd angles where it was drying. Unfortunately he still wore his glasses. Sure Gladio thought he was hot with them on but without them… Needless to say the Shield's control was tested beyond belief.

"Are you coming to sit down? You're making me uncomfortable…" Ignis said, his gaze lazily focused on Gladio.

Grabbing to bag of junk, Gladio plopped down on the other side of the couch. "Here-" He dug out a bag of Haribos and handed them to Ignis. "- Even you can't resist 'em, I know you've got a huge sweet tooth Iggy."

Ignis huffed in response but didn't deny the accusation because it was true, while he may cook healthy meals and seem to dislike sugary treats, he really couldn't say no to them. So after coaxing Ignis into ruining his diet with a ton of sugar, Gladio started flicking through the movies available, both men agreeing on a simple paranormal horror. Although, there was something even Ignis was unaware of until now, Gladio was scared of horror movies. More specifically ones like The Amityville Haunting and Poltergeist.

Instead of hiding his face behind a pillow, the Shield managed to shuffle over to his friend and burying his face in his shoulder when needed, or ask Ignis to cover his eyes for a brief moment, or settle for looking at his unphased friends face and making small talk.

Sometime in the morning Gladio woke up stretched out on a couch that wasn't his, momentarily disoriented, he looked around and then remembered where he was. He must have fallen asleep at some point to still be here, Ignis must have retreated to his bedroom but not after draping a blanket over him.

Rubbing his eyes and groaning as he stretched, Gladio relinquished the warmth of the blanket and tried to find the bathroom. The doors he opened only lead to storage closets or what looked like a study, resorting to opening the last door which was to be Ignis' bedroom. Sure enough Gladio could make out his sleeping form under the covers, laid on his front, arms crossed under the pillow his head rested on, soft sighs told Gladio his friend was still sound asleep.

If there was one thing Gladio hated about his size, it's that he had trouble being sneaky and quiet. He crept as quietly as possible over to the door on the right side of Ignis' bedroom, slightly ajar, he could see it was the bathroom. He ceased his attempt and held his breath when Ignis stirred slightly, rolling onto his back with one arm draped over his eyes and the other still under his pillow, muttering something about a paper that was due, thankfully he was still asleep so Gladio continued his mission but trying not to laugh at Ignis' sleep talk was a daunting task.

Mission success.

Upon exiting however, it appeared Ignis had woken up. That or he was sleep walking. Gladio then wondered if Ignis was aware he talked in his sleep, the bespeckled boy would likely deny it and consider it a preposterous notion.

"Good morning. Apologies for not showing you where the bathroom is, the thought slipped my mind. I trust you slept well?" Ignis poked his head round the door from the living room, looking sleepy but awake at least.

"Don't sweat it. I didn't mean to fall asleep but yeah, it was a good sleep." With a sheepish grin Gladio returned to the living room but, not without having a good look around Ignis' room first now that the curtains were open.

Of course, this room would be just as clean as the others. Bed made, clothes folded neatly on the chair in the corner, books sorted in alphabetical order, even the colour scheme remained the same as the rest of the place. There was just something distinctly 'Ignis' in this room, hell there were even drawings framed on the walls and a pile of them on the dresser, covered by a notepad but there. Gladio couldn't help but want to look at them, he knew Ignis liked to doodle at times, when the boy had a pen he'd draw patterns on Gladio's arms or whatever paper he could get. What he didn't know is that his friend was actually a really talented artist.

There were sketches of flowers, buildings, animals, people and even the Astrals themselves. One that was wall hidden under all of them was a sketch of Gladio himself, seeing it made his face flush red and his heart leap ever so slightly. Reluctantly he put them back and returned to the living room.

Leaning on the kitchen counter, Gladio eyed Ignis with a quizzical smile. "So when were you gonna tell me you were the next Da Vinci?"

Ignis froze and adjusted his glasses before turning to look at Gladio. "I wasn't. It's just a hobby, hardly worth a comparison to Da Vinci at any rate. Might I ask why you were snooping around my belongings?"

"I wasn't snooping… I was curious and found a pile of drawings on your dresser. Is there anything you can't do?"

At that, Ignis shied away with a sad smile. "I loathe to boast but… There are only a few things I cannot do. Now, I have a meeting to attend so if you'll excuse me. Oh, and I took the liberty of adding a spare key for my apartment to your keyring, should you need it."

Gladio wanted to protest. Wanted Ignis to stay but if he had a meeting there was no way he could convince him, work came first and no matter what it would always be that way.

"Thanks. Guess I'll see you later?"

"Indeed. You and I have training scheduled later on, I'll meet you in the training hall, don't be late."

To say his heart felt heavy would be an understatement. Gladio wanted nothing more than to tell Ignis how he felt, he wanted to ever since the dance, when he was assured he could tell Ignis anything. But there was something stopping him. Call it pride, duty or whatever but it hindered his ability to even bring up the subject. If he didn't do it soon, he may well never get the chance. A few weeks ago Clarus had told him that he would soon need to think about settling down, or at least find someone to settle down with in a few years, Ignis was undoubtedly in the same boat since they both came from noble houses.

It really was a matter of now or never. Never just seemed like the option that would cause the least damage, but not if Ignis shared his feelings, then it would be the worst decision of his life and one of his few regrets. One day, it would be one of them walking out of that door and not coming back. At least, not for any personal reasons, friendships like theirs can be hard to keep and relationships even harder, after all, duty comes first no matter the cost.

For the time being, Gladio settled for looking through the rest of Ignis' drawings and finding his sketchbooks hidden under his bed, raiding the cupboards for something to eat and making a coffee. Ignis never said he had to leave so why not make the most of it?

"Noct… What're we gonna do?! Is it true?"

"I dunno! It's just what I overheard from Dad, he didn't sound over the moon about it to be honest either."

"But like- That's so unfair- You can't make someone marry someone… Right?"

"Wrong buddy. Iggy, Gladio and I have to marry and we don't get the choice. Like, I gotta marry Luna eventually, those two are bound to have some girl lined up. Guess the plan ain't gonna work after all."

"Does Gladio know? Hell does Iggy know?!"

Noctis just shrugged and rested his chin on his palm with a hefty sigh. "I thought we were getting somewhere too… Dunno if they know but they will soon."

Prompto let out a sound that sounded like a whine and mimicked Noctis' pose, pouting as he did so. "But they're so into each other, and it be so cute… Nothing we can do?" Once again, Noct just shrugged.

The pair immediately perked up when Ignis appeared at the doorway, trying not to be obvious about the news that they weren't sure the Adviser knew yet. Though he looked solemn and was quieter than usual as he sat beside Prompto, Noctis flashed a half-assed smile in an attempt to lighten the mood but failed miserably.

"I guess… Congrats dude?"


	3. Chapter 3

p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"With Christmas right around the corner, Ignis was far busier than usual, picking up the slack of his coworkers. Noctis was all high spirits for once and even got up earlier than usual, namely to get his chores and homework out of the way so he could relax over the holidays. Prompto often joined him and relished in the fact he was able to enjoy Ignis' cooking so much, well, more than he usually would anyways, he practically lived at Noct's house at the moment. Gladio on the other hand remained beside himself, he tried to be as cheerful as the others, or as resourceful and organised as Ignis was even at this time of the year, but he just settled for training harder and longer to work out his frustrations. /spanstrong id="docs-internal-guid-85edd59c-7fff-3750-1e10-31531f8769e5" style="font-weight: normal;"/strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Unfortunately Noctis and Ignis were on the receiving end of those sessions and it's a wonder the two are still standing. Even his Dad tried cheering him up and that was saying something, if Clarus Amicitia was trying to be an optimist and appear happy, it was a serious deal. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hello…? Earth to Gladdy! You coming or what?" /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Gladio blinked a couple of times and shifted his gaze to Iris, closing his book on his lap to give her his attention. It's that or she'll hit him with it. "Where?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""To meet up with the guys, duh! Noct and Prompto finished their homework and Iggy's off work early, so are you comin' or am I gonna have to make another excuse for you?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You go ahead. I've got shit to do." Gladio murmured, Iris just huffed and turned on her heel to leave. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Y'know… You keeping moping around feeling sorry for yourself, but you stopped to think how he might feel about it? I told you to speak up or you'd regret it." Gladio sent her a warning glare and she took that as a sign to stop talking, so she left without another word or a second glance. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Earlier that week Gladio had found out in the worst way that his fears came true. He'd overheard a conversation Ignis' uncle was having with some other noble folks, not that he was intentionally eavesdropping at all, he was on guard duty for that room but the door was left ajar. For the most part he tried not to listen but when Ignis' name came up it was all too tempting and nigh impossible not to eavesdrop. They were discussing marrying him off in a few years to some woman from Altissia, apparently they knew each other already and it seemed like the simplest solution for his nephews situation. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"With each word that was spoken, Gladio's heart sank farther and farther until he couldn't bear to listen any longer, excusing himself to escape to the bathroom. What made him most upset is that this wasn't new news, it was to Gladio but apparently Ignis was already aware of the arrangement. He was hurt that his friend hadn't told him about the engagement, not only that but he was hurting because he hadn't piped up about his own feelings beforehand, if he had thing's may have been different. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Thus explaining why Gladio was in such a foul mood, not wanting to be around Ignis at the moment. The boy seemed to have caught onto it quickly though since he changed his training and sparring sessions to be with Nyx instead, unintentionally adding salt to Gladio's wound and dooming some poor sap to the Shield's relentless assaults, Ignis could handle them because he was fast, flexible and agile, the new guy… Not so much. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Gladio was wrenched out his internal pity party by his phone ringing, assuming it was Iris he just picked up without looking at the caller ID. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What'd you forget now?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I beg your pardon?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That was certainly not Iris. "Ignis? Sorry. Thought it was Iris calling, need something? Kinda busy." That sounded harsh even to his own ears, but no taking it back now. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Busy scowling at your book? Iris is worried about you, we all are."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""How'd you know I was reading?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Perhaps if you open the front door, it'll enlighten you, do hurry it's a tad cold out here."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Gladio had half a mind to tell Ignis to shove off but he couldn't bring himself to say it, especially if he didn't really mean it. Instead he just sighed and hung up, dragging himself to the front door reluctantly. Sure enough Ignis stood outside looking quite cold, if the way his scarf is drawn about his face is any indication. The be-speckled boy just stood there staring at him with an eyebrow raised, likely at his unkempt appearance, not leaving his house for days on end lead to him not caring about his appearance so much. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Gonna stand there judging me or you gonna come in?" Gladio said, his voice sounded hoarse for some reason and Ignis seemed to notice too. Nonetheless, the boy took this invitation and stepped inside, wiping his feet on the doormat as he did so. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"For a moment Ignis stared at him again but looked away to clear his throat. "I'll get straight to the point, I'm not in the mood to humor you right now." He paused for a second to gauge Gladio's expression and then continued, "Is there a reason you've been blatantly avoiding everyone?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"If Ignis could look any scarier, Gladio might run and hide, he was deadly serious and the Shield knew better than to argue normally, but today was not one of those days. "Thought it was obvious. You're the smartass, figure it out."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""If you're going to be stubborn about it I may as well just leave. I'll ask again, why are you avoiding everyone? Even Noctis is worried about you for goodness sake." Ignis looked like a sad puppy and an angry Coeurl at the same time, that was a scary image, eyes blazing with frustration but with sadness buried underneath. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why should I tell you? You didn't bother telling me you were getting engaged too." Gladio bit his tongue as soon as he said that, the way Ignis' face went from irritation to guilt and hurt was hard to look at. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"For a split second Gladio thought he'd broken his friend, but he was wrong indeed. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal. It's not as though it's life changing news is it? At least not to you."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah well- Clearly- You thought wrong."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Oh? And why is that?" Ordinarily Gladio and Ignis knew better than to challenge each other like this, but it seemed like it was too much to just put aside. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Because I don't want you to get married! It's not fair!" Gladio clapped a hand over his mouth once he finished, realising what a big mistake that was. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ignis sighed heavily and bit his lip, a nervous habit Gladio picked up on frequently. "You know I had no say in the matter. You also know that Noctis is always the priority, for both of us, duty before our personal lives. Fair or not, that is the life we live."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"There was a heavy silence between them as Gladio searched for something to say, something to repair what was breaking, both his heart and their friendship. "So what… We're just not gonna be friends anymore?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ignis glance up at Gladio almost immediately. "I never said that." His face showing his panic as much as his voice. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No, but you implied it."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""For goodness sake. You can be intolerable at times, you know that? If it weren't for Noct we probably would be friends in the first place, it was mere happenstance that we built such a relationship and years of work that sustained it." Ignis was clearly refusing to back down, given that this was a childish argument to say the least. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Childish and ridiculous as it may be, Gladio found himself grabbed the front of Ignis' scarf and coat in an iron fist, his own tempt getting the best of him at a bad time. "I'm intolerable? You're such a know-it-all. There's a stick up your ass too far to pull out, but that's just how you Scientia's are ain't it."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Take that back. Do not bring my name into this. Insult me all you want, I know I deserve it but do not sully my family name, I can return the favour tenfold Gladiolus." Full name treatment now, Ignis was serious and on the verge of punching Gladio in the face if he wasn't careful, not that the Shield was much better off. He was itching to land a punch on the Adviser now more than ever. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Make me. I'll drag you and your name through the dirt, you and I both know who'd win in a fight Ignis."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Now despite appearances and common behaviour, Ignis still had a temper, one that was almost always kept under tabs very well. Today seems to be the day that thing's go wrong. The younger boy threw a punch that hit Gladio square in the jaw, putting him off balance and momentarily stunned at the action. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""This is ridiculous. All this over a pathetic secret, that wasn't even that much of a secret to begin with."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You must be denser than I thought if you think that's all there is to this. You wanna know why I've been avoiding you lot?" Gladio waited for a moment, preparing himself for the worst, not that the situation could get any worse from here. "It's because of you Ignis. When I found out, I couldn't stand to be near you, not just because you didn't tell me but because I've not told you something. You remember that secret? At the dance a few weeks ago?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ignis did nothing but stare and cradle his hand to his chest, that punch must have hurt him as well as Gladio ./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well, I fucking love you, and that's why… I don't want you to get married, because I want to do that, and now I've fucked everything up because I was too damn scared to tell you ages ago. That night when you surprised me at the dance, I wanted nothing more than to kiss you then and there, in front of everyone."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Gladio felt momentarily relieved to get that off his chest, but the knowing look Ignis was giving him made him uneasy. But the sudden feeling of soft lips on his own overwhelmed it, his heart sent a flutter like the times Ignis would smile brightly at him, a large hand threaded in the back of the sandy hair he's always wanted to touch. Unfortunately it didn't last and Ignis pulled away with an unreadable expression. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know. I've always known, or at least, had suspicions. Which is why… I must ask we keep our relationship strictly professional."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Ignis- Don't- Don't shut me down after that. I can't even begin to think of a life without you in it as a friend or more, I don't want to talk to you just because we have to, I want to talk and hang out with you because we both want to…"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ignis didn't look as though he was going to say anything else, and he didn't. He just readjusted his scarf and coat, trying to hide his pained expression from the older boy as he opened the front door. Gladio's fear of losing his best friend was quickly coming to life right before his eyes, but it wasn't just his best friend he was losing, it was also his heart. If Ignis went, Gladio's heart went with him. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"And leave he did. Gladio was going to have one lousy Christmas without Ignis, he just didn't have the will to even try and enjoy it now./span/p 


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few weeks Gladio had become quite the actor, needing to give the public as well as Noct and Prompto the illusion that he and Ignis were still on good terms. Which they were so to speak, as a matter of mere professionalism than social preference, well it wasn't Gladio's preference. Far from it to be precise. He wanted nothing more than to have his best friend back, or perhaps to have had something more with Ignis. After that brief but much desired kiss those months ago, Ignis had only become more of a distraction and Gladio longed for a chance to make things right again.

Still, the Shield had fond memories to fall back on, even if they left him hurting sometimes and only added to his longing. There were still glances that lasted a second too long, handshakes that lingered and hollow smiles exchanged, unreleased tension between the two often making things more awkward than necessary. Needless to say it infuriated Noct and Prompto to no end, Noct even had the bright idea to lock them in a room until they kissed and made-up, Prompto rationalised it wouldn't work out that way.

"So… Noct, any more great master plans for Operation Gladnis?" Prompto said, glancing up from his phone.

Noct returned the stare after a moment of thought. "I got one. Get 'em both drunk and then lock 'em in a room."

"Look buddy, Gladio and Iggy ain't exactly on bad terms so they'll just talk. Secondly, how in hell you gonna get Iggy of all people drunk? Gladio maybe but… Iggy's a long shot even for you."

"Well- Then- Maybe I'll just get 'em drunk enough they confess their love and I'll record it for evidence." When Prompto rose an eyebrow, Noct then added. "And for blackmail later."

"Y'know, I admire your dedication Noct. Maybe it'll happen on its own, y'never know." At that Noctis just rolled his eyes and grabbed a controller, handing the other to Prompto.

"Yeah well they're taking their damn time, it frustrates me 'cause it so fucking obvious they're into each other. Stubborn bastards…"

Prompto mocked surprise at Noct's cursing, putting on his best serious face. "Don't let Iggy hear you talk like that."

"Like what?" Enquired a familiar voice.

"Nothing!" Both boys shouted in unison, startled by Ignis' silent entry but thankful that's all he heard.

"Oh? By the guilty look on your faces, I'm not convinced and really quite curious." Ignis spoke plainly, a small smirk on his lips at the boys clear itch to blurt out whatever they were talking about before his arrival. "By the way Noct, you really shouldn't leave your notebook open unattended."

Noct instantly froze and shot Prompto a panicked glance, marvelling at the blonde boys calmness. "M-My bad. Did you ah- Read it?"

"From a fleeting glance I saw nothing more than crudely drawn pictures and illegible handwriting."

At that both Noct and Prompto let out a quiet sigh of relief, thankful Ignis wasn't one to pry where he knows he shouldn't. That didn't stop Noct from making a mental note to at least make sure his notepads were hidden or tidied away before Ignis came over, Prompto thought it best to remember that too, just in case Noctis forgot again.

"Yeah well- Not all of us can have fancy-ass writing like you Specs. Ain't you supposed to be kicking Gladio's ass instead of lecturing mine?" Noct retorted, Ignis just staring at him blankly in response.

"I simply came by to give you these, some notes I think would prove invaluable for your latest assignment. And of course lunch for the two of you, lest you ruin your appetite for dinner." Ignis said bluntly, setting down a folder and two boxes on the kitchen counter. "I trust the pair of you will actually do said assignment tonight or will I need to make a reappearance to ensure it?"

Prompto nodded frantically, mainly because Ignis scared him when he was serious, Noct on the other hand rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. The latter taking that as a sign to make his exit, and he did so as silently as he appeared.

\--

Gladio, currently running to find Cor, was unaware of the other individual rushing just around the corner, that is until he collided with them and papers flew everywhere, both of them falling backwards with an echoing thud.

"Sorry-" The Shield began to apologise but halted when he saw who he ran into, instantly regretting his choice to sprint around the Citadel. "Shit."

Ignis sat up wearily, frowning at his cracked glasses and pocketing them reluctantly, glaring at Gladio as he sat up and started gathering his scattered files. "Dare I ask why you were running around like a child?"

Gladio moved to help collect the papers and simultaneously avoid eye contact with Ignis, though curiosity got the better of him and he was met with a clear glare, free of the usually obstructing glasses. "Cor asked for me, y'know how he is… Sorry about your glasses."

"It's fine. I needed a replacement pair anyways and now I have an excuse." The boy held out his hand for the remaining papers and Gladio handed them over, unintentionally holding his breath when his fingers brushed a gloved hand.

"When'd you start wearing gloves?" The intrigue obvious in Gladio's question as much as the sadness on his face.

"Since I decided my hands were far too valuable to have damaged, and I despise having them dirty. Excuse me-" Ignis went to rush off to his original destination but Gladio had an iron grip on the back of his waistcoat. "Gladiolus…?"

He thought about letting go and keeping his mouth shut but that was something Gladio wasn't capable of. "Can we talk? Like… Properly?"

Ignis kept silent for a moment, just looking at the floor until his gaze shifted to Gladio. "I suppose so. I'm available after 7 PM, if by then you still wish to talk, I'll be at the cafe at the end of the road."

Without another word Ignis slipped out of Gladio's grasp, one too many times for the Shield's liking. He hated watching from a distance as Ignis got on with his life without him, or at least, without him as a friend of sorts, their professional arrangement was hard on him but he was growing used to it. So there he was, standing in the hallway watching the boy he loved walking away again, without Noct holding them together they wouldn't even be talking and that hurt him more than anything. Actually, it hurt less than when Ignis kissed him and then shut him down, but there wasn't a big difference.

So rather than stand here staring after the Adviser, Gladio continued his journey to Cor's office before he was scolded and given laps for tomorrow morning. Something about the abrupt summons made him uneasy, Cor could be a bastard at times sure because everyone could be, he made a point of sending people on ludicrous errands to teach them a lesson sometimes, but he never openly asked for Gladio unless something was wrong or important.

Upon arriving at Cor's office his stomach immediately dropped, Ignis turned to see who was at the door and his gaze instantly turned back to Cor, the older man just sighed at seeing their reactions.

"Sit your ass down Gladio, you look like you're going to bolt. I didn't ask you two here out of spite, I asked you here because I have something important to talk to you about, with regards to training." Cor spoke with a bluntness that rivalled even Ignis', but the man also had a glint in his eye that made both boys shift uncomfortably.

"Better be good. I got places to be."

"Like lounging at home? Anyway… I'm changing your training partners. Again. Starting tomorrow, you'll be training together, before you shout about it Gladio, Ulric has proven to be more than suitable for Ignis and has given him invaluable skills, I want to see if you can keep up now. A Shield can't afford to be put down by a Sword after all."

Gladio just sat back in his chair muttering under his breath, Ignis remained silent and staring at the floor. "That it?"

"No. I'm doing a team exercise this weekend and I expect both of you to attend, I know for a fact you aren't working well together so this'll be the time to fix it. Moreover, Ignis, you're not eighteen yet so you shouldn't really be coming but it'll give me the chance to gauge whether you're ready to enroll in the Crownsguard in a couple of months." He spared the pair a glance and crossed his arms as though waiting for a protest. "That's it. Just don't kill each other this weekend will you? Now off with you before I add on extra drills tomorrow."

Ignis left silently and Gladio was half-tempted to start ranting about how bad this idea was, instead he followed equally as silent, if not uncharacteristically so compared to his usual way of voicing his opinion. Out of habit Ignis checked his watch and Gladio heard him sigh a little, stopping dead in his tracks when the former turned to face him.

"The Marshal took the liberty of clearing my schedule until Monday. If you're still adamant about talking then shall we?" Ignis said dryly, Gladio flinching at the sharpness of those words and was having second thoughts because this wasn't a good idea.

"Sure. I can take you to Princess' and we can talk after?" The Shield stood with his hands on his hips, almost asserting his dominance with the sheer difference in stature. Ignis however remained unphased and unrelenting, just giving an affirmative nod.

\--

Meanwhile Noct and Prompto turned to the Master Matchmaker for help, bribing Iris to keep their plans a secret with sweets, not that she needed the bribery. They met in the backyard of the Amicitia house and Jared just came to offer snacks every now and then, other than that, they were undisturbed.

"You guys are hopeless… I gave you plenty to work with at the dance, and now they're not even hanging out!" She said between mouthfuls of crisps.

Prompto fiddled with his bracelets while he thought of a good explanation. "B-But Iris-! It isn't our fault! We had no idea Gladio didn't know about the situation." He fell silent when she threw an empty can at him.

"C'mon Iris, little harsh don't you think?"

"Operation Gladnis was going so well…" All three of them sighed in defeat, Iris may be irritated that the boys didn't help much but she knew life wasn't working in their favour.


	5. Chapter 5

"So tell us Master Matchmaker, how can we stop Iggy getting married and get operation Gladnis back on track?" Noct asked with feigned politeness, almost as if he were trying to mimic Ignis' accent and way of acting. Only drawing out a bit of laughter at his sorry attempt.

Iris crossed her arms and sat there for a moment, she secretly loved being their go-to girl for this mission. "I think it'll work itself out. I heard Gladdy say he's gonna try sort things out with Iggy later."

That gave the three of them temporary reprieve. After all, both Gladio and Ignis could be unpredictable at the best of times, let alone after a fight and unprecedented circumstances so there may be more harm than good done during said talk. Even so, Noct and Prompto couldn't afford anymore tardiness and Ignis was bound to be on his way to Noct's apartment, so they split and made a vow to fix this mess. Even though it isn't theirs to fix.

Thankfully the duo made it to Noct's place before Ignis, giving them a little time to act natural and pretend to be doing homework or something. The latter seemed suspicious but didn't question it otherwise, continuing his usual routine of cleaning, cooking and explaining his notes to Noct.

A short while later, after finishing up with Noct and warning Prompto about not doing his homework, Ignis returned to the awaiting Gladio. Who of which seemed to be dozing in the car, music on at a low volume and a book spread on his lap. Nothing an exaggerated cough couldn't fix.

"So uh- Where to?" Gladio asked with underlying drowsiness in his voice.

Ignis sat in silence for a moment, he had no idea how this 'talk' was going to proceed and so the sort of venue wasn't abundantly clear. "I suggest somewhere quiet. My apartment isn't far from here… Unless you object?"

Gladio opened his mouth to speak but Ignis' phone rang and he fell silent, knowing it was likely important. By the look on the other's face it wasn't a call he wanted, at all. Ignis may look serious and calm on a regular basis, even when dealing with bureaucrats of the most snobbish standard, but he seemed frustrated by this person. From a glimpse Gladio saw a name but couldn't put it to a face.

"That seemed like a fun convo, who's Berin?" Gladio glanced across at Ignis, unsure of whether he should have asked that knowing how secretive the other can be. He didn't seem to be angry at him nonetheless.

"No-one you need to know of. I'm afraid this talk of ours will need to wait, I'm needed elsewhere right now, apologies." Ignis sounded sincerely sorry, as he made to hop out of the car Gladio engaged the locks, earning himself a confused look from his companion.

"I'll drop you off. Where we headed?" He said with a smile, one that was hardly forced given the circumstances.

Ignis sighed but relented and sat back in his seat. "As you wish. I need to go to my uncles, do you know where it is?"

"'Course, I picked you up from there a couple times. By the way," He paused and dug out his house keys, unhooking the spare key for Ignis' apartment. "I still have a key to your place…"

Gladio was willing but reluctant to hand it back, Ignis however had other ideas and pushed his hand away. "Keep it. You may need it if I ever become an invalid or on the verge of death."

The statement was meant to be humorous, but Gladio wasn't sure if he should laugh or not, especially since Ignis didn't have the usual glint in his eye or that subtle smirk, then again they were friends the last time that happened. It was rare Gladio saw Ignis smile, nowadays he'd seemed to have lost the smile that sent Gladio's heart aflutter or the one that seemed to light up the room, lost because there was no reason to use it anymore. It was apparent it was just Gladio that lost something the day Ignis walked away.

It started to snow as Gladio was on his way to Ignis' uncles, not that it was a problem but it brought back memories the Shield had shoved aside, and not without regret. Within half an hour the snow had coated the floor with a white sheet, mostly untouched where people were still at work and children at school, Gladio began remembering the snowball fights he had with everyone last time it snowed, wishing they could relive it at least once more. Eventually he pulled up outside the Scientia house, not as grand as the Amicitia house but what it lacked in size it made up for in looks, seems as though Ignis' distaste for ambiguity ran in the family.

"Thank you, Gladio. Perhaps later we could get around to talking, unless you changed your mind?" Ignis glanced at him with an inquisitive stare, drawing out Gladio's real answer from the depths of his mind.

"I'm still for it, want me to come with? Or I could wait here?"

"It's… Up to you. I won't ask you to come with me, my uncle isn't overly fond of guests. Or people for that matter." Ignis said, a hint of sourness in his voice, Gladio knew that this guy was the only family Ignis had in Insomnia but that was about it. Nevertheless, he just nodded and made himself comfortable, turning off the door locks for Ignis to leave.

While Gladio relaxed in the car with a book and music, Ignis was preparing himself for a lecture from his uncle. Refraining from taking a seat unless he was asked to, not out of habit but because that's how he was taught.

"I appreciate you coming at such short notice Ignis. I wish to speak with you about a sensitive subject, I trust you've already figured out what that is?" Berin said expectantly. Ignis shifted his weight to his left leg and leaned against the cabinet, trying to refrain from biting his lip.

"Indeed. You must have caught wind of the fact Gladiolus and I are to be training together once again, as well as the Marshal's team building activity this weekend. I have done as you asked and it cost me greatly."

"Costly or not, the Amicitia boy will also be married at some point and then it would be you that learnt the hard way, you have no time for childish infatuations. Especially when it will lead nowhere. Hence why I am trying to get you to move on."

"I am not the only one capable of continuing the family line-" Berin raised a hand and Ignis fell silent, arguing wasn't the way he should have gone about this but there was only so far you could push someone.

The older man sighed and cleared his throat. "Be that as it may, you are most eligible and distinguished from the prominent line, it's your responsibility to make sure our house doesn't cease to exist."

Ignis went to counter but kept his mouth firmly shut. Giving his argument actual thought before he blabbered like a foolhardy child.

"Distant cousins aside. Being with that boy will only ensure trouble. I'll be speaking with Clarus and Cor in due course."

"With all due respect, uncle, I cannot abide by your rules forever. Gladiolus is to be the Prince's Shield and I his Adviser, whether you like it or not, he and I need to interact and be on friendly terms. Mere professionalism has not bode well with either of us and is negatively impacting the Prince in the process." Bringing Noct into the argument was petty on Ignis' part and he felt bad about it, however it may be the key to bending the rules in his favour.

"I will be the judge of that. You may go." Berin waved him off without another look or word, Ignis just opted for leaving silently.

His uncle was in no way a bad person, he just didn't know how to care for a child and that took a toll on his relationship with his nephew, appearing to be negligent and disinterested in the boy's life. Eventually things were irreparable between them so formalities were put into place, Ignis and Berin interacted as coworkers more than they did family. In fact, unless asked about family specifically, neither of them mention the other or tell people of their predicament. Needless to say on Ignis' part, almost none of his friends and many of his coworkers or superiors knew he had any family in Insomnia.

Gladio jumped a little, startled at how abruptly Ignis got back in the car, so much so he dropped his book but acted smooth and pretended like it didn't happen. Thankfully Ignis didn't see it, it may have been the prominent scowl or the tension radiating off him that made Gladio think that wasn't a great talk.

"Buckle up. We're going to my house, Iris would love to see you and she'll cheer you up, maybe you can talk some sense into her about bedtimes too, hm?" Gladio spared Ignis a glance as he started driving, but despite the attempt at lightening his mood, the Adviser just remained silent and frowning. Gladio thought it best to call Iris beforehand.

"_Yo, what's up Gladdy?"_

"Yo? You've been around Noct too much kiddo… Anyway, on my way back so pack up your shit from the living room."

"_Jeez you're so mean, I was in the middle of painting…"_

"Yeah well, I got something that might cheer you up, it's a bit blue itself, see you in 10."

"_Oooooo now I'm interested, better be a puppy! See ya in a bit!"_

She hung up and Gladio peered at Ignis once again, now curled up in the passenger seat, possibly asleep but he couldn't tell because of the fringe covering his eyes. Even so, Gladio turned down the radio and focused on driving home, it wasn't far and if Ignis was asleep he'd feel bad waking him up. To him it almost felt like they were friends again. Almost.

As usual, Clarus' car wasn't on the drive so he wasn't home, there were only two lights on so that meant Jared was still awake or Iris was messing around. Either way, she was still up and about so there was hope that both her and Ignis might talk and cheer each other up, that was the plan anyway. So he turned the car off and leaned over to gently shake Ignis awake, the other only very briefly startled before he was aware of where he was.

"Gladdy! Oh- Iggy! Long time no see, so much better than a puppy!" She squealed as she ran to tackle the barely aware Ignis into a hug, not that he was fond of them but for Iris everyone made an exception.

"It has been a while, work seems to have caught up with me, my apologies." He flashed a smile and she squealed again, grabbing his hand and dragging him inside, leaving Gladio outside in the cold. Not that he minded, it'd give him a minute to think about whether this was a good idea or not, as though he had a choice now that Iris had seen Ignis.

While he was contemplating that, Clarus' car pulled in beside Gladio's, the older man mildly confused as to why his son was outside at this time and without a jacket. Not to mention the fact it was still snowing a little.

"Gladiolus? Dare I ask why you're out here?" The strong voice cut through Gladio's thoughts and brought him back to Eos.

"Just thinkin', Ignis is inside with Iris, hope you don't mind, thought he could cheer Iris up."

"I fear as though that's not the only reason you brought him here. Do you intend to fix things? Because if I have to see you moping around for another week, I'm going to do more than change a schedule." Clarus trailed of muttering but that last sentence made Gladio perk up and raise an eyebrow 'Ignis Style'.

"So it was you that put me and Ignis back together? You behind the team building crap too?"

"No. That was Cor's idea. Gladiolus… As a father I want to see you happy. That boy in there makes you happy, I've seen it believe it or not and Iris loves him. As much as I would have you wed some noble woman, I will not force you to, you're old enough to make your own choices about your personal future."

Gladio couldn't believe what he was hearing. First off, Clarus was acting like a normal father and giving him advice, sort of. Secondly, he was rooting for him and Ignis to be an item. That in itself was odd, not to mention that Cor was in on it. "Do I wanna know why you and Cor were discussing my private life?"

"It sounds awfully intrusive when you say it like that. I was merely commenting on the training timetable and the pairings, it then occurred to me that you two weren't… Getting along shall we say, I'm clearly not the only one that noticed…" Clarus was sounding far too much like Iris for Gladio's liking, now he was under the impression they're conspiring against him.

"Great. So my dad and his friends are trying to get me to hook up with my ex-best friend, that's...Weird. I'm gonna go make sure Iris hasn't killed Ignis or tried braiding his hair or some shit. G'night." With that he turned and half-ran into the living room, finding Iris and Ignis asleep on the sofa. Instead of waking them up, he just grabbed a spare blanket and draped it over them.


	6. Chapter 6

Ignis awoke the next morning in a slight panic, namely because he wasn't home and there was something latched to his arm. That something being Iris, who hadn't woken up at all and proceeded to cling to his arm at some point last night, the appearance of a mystery blanket made him curious also.

"Good luck getting her off, she's like a padlock when she's like that." Gladio pointed out with a grin. Ignis gingerly moved his arm a little and her grip loosened ever so slightly, just enough for him to wriggle free and flash a victorious smirk.

"You were saying? What time is it?" For extra measures to ensure she didn't stir, he replaced himself with a few pillows, that way she wouldn't wake or be uncomfortable.

"Alright smartass, it's five thirty. Came to see if you wanted me to take you home so you can pack."

Gladio leaned back against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, hints of amusement on his face at the dishevelled Adviser. Of course, Ignis didn't find it amusing but he didn't immediately comment on it, instead he just suffered being a temporary mess.

"If you continue to find my state of disarray amusing I'll stick you in front of a mirror, Gladiolus." Ignis said in such a way that made Gladio flinch ever so slightly. The latter itching to respond with a pun or carry it into banter, but he held his tongue.

That comment wasn't entirely false, Gladio was also not looking too tidy himself this morning, given he wore the sleepy bed head too well. At least Ignis thought so, not that it meant anything or if it did he'd ever admit it. There were a great deal of things Ignis wouldn't admit, to himself or to others. For example, he was lying when he said he would settle for a merely platonic relationship, with a certain someone. Another thing would be the fact he couldn't justify the situation, adding to the tension between Gladio and himself, begging to be released or subdued in some way.

Admitting that he felt something other than friendship or comradery towards Gladio, that would be the day Garula's would fly, perhaps. It wouldn't be the end of the world completely but maybe the end of Ignis' sanity.

"Now I know where Princess gets the sass from." The Shield muttered, half-hoping Ignis wouldn't hear him, grabbing his jacket and car keys. "C'mon, Cor'll skin us alive if we're late and you're gonna wanna pack and shower."

Ignis just followed him without any objections, sparing a glance at Iris to make sure she was still asleep. Strange as it may seem to some, Ignis often thought of her as a younger sister, she even used to joke around and call him her brother at times, dampening Gladio's boisterous ego in the process. Even though Shield and Adviser may not be on the best of terms, Iris was ever the matchmaker and made a point of being close to both of them.

\--

Not half an hour later, due to slow traffic with the snow, Gladio pulled into the parking lot of Ignis' apartment complex. At first he opted to stay in the car but now may be a good opportunity to clear the air once and for all, ending up following Ignis upstairs like a lost puppy.

"I trust you can entertain yourself while I'm busy?" Ignis asked cooly, putting his shattered glasses in the bin. Honestly, Gladio had forgotten breaking them in the first place.

The Shield just rolled his eyes and took a seat on the couch, following Ignis' movements around the room with a little interest. Gladio made a point of making his staring subtle, if he were caught he'd look away instantly, unbeknownst to him that Ignis was doing the exact same thing. It was obvious which one of them was caught first, Gladio was never one for subtlety in any form, though Prompto was the only one that could out-do him in that sense.

Ignis suddenly stopped what he was doing and turned to face Gladio. "Perhaps we ought to clear the elephant in the room, hm? If we have to spend a weekend together then we should come to some understanding."

"Sure you wanna do this now?"

"It's now or never, I for one cannot stand by while this issue remains unresolved. I said once before you could confide in me, yet you felt the need to hide something important from me… May I ask why?"

Gladio's face showed how sorry he was about it, especially his eyes, dark and glassy as though he would cry. "I didn't want to. I just… Didn't know how you'd react so I kept it to myself. Until I sorta blurted it out."

"I feel an apology is long overdue for my behavior that day. I'm sorry." Ignis paused and ran a hand through his hair, an internal battle raging between his heart and mind. "I said I had suspicions and I did, but I handled the situation poorly. I also kept something of great import from you, something I should have told you even as a friend because… That's what friends do, no?"

"Look- I get it- I do. I know you don't like sharing personal stuff, hell we were friends for years and I didn't find out your favourite colour until Halloween." Gladio smiled fondly at the memory of that night, the four of them took Iris out trick-or-treating and she persuaded Ignis to use her Moogle headband and wings.

Ignis chuckled a little and let a smile slip. "There's a bit of a difference between a favourite colour and an engagement. With that in mind… I should mention that I broke off my engagement."

Gladio looked dumbfounded at that, many thoughts ran through his head and many irrational. "Wait- What? When'd you do that? And why? Ain't your uncle gonna go mad?"

"Perhaps. He doesn't know yet but it's only a matter of time. Not long after our fight, I spoke with Ceres and we came to a mutual understanding, neither of us were content to let this farce continue nor did we want to go through with it."

When Ignis didn't explain why, Gladio stood up and couldn't help but move towards the other, standing mere inches away. His face was filled with curiosity and hope, but his mind was telling him to stop dreaming, his heart told him to keep hoping. Ignis refused to look at him though, purposely avoiding the urgent and hopeful look in those amber eyes.

"And… Why didn't you wanna go through with it? It ain't like you to go against the rules." Gladio could barely contain his anxiety, it felt like his stomach was doing somersaults and his heart drumming his in ears.

"I recently came to a realization that some things are worth breaking the rules for, more specifically someone." It looked like Ignis was struggling to find the words he wanted, he bit his lip and fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt sleeves, eyes looking anywhere but at Gladio.

"Never thought I'd see you stuck for words." There was a hint of amusement in Gladio's tone that made Ignis glare at him from behind his fringe.

"Yes, well, I don't tend to confess such things, nor am I naturally charismatic like you."

"I am not! I just talk to actual people and stuff. This your way of saying you love me, eh?" Gladio knew what Ignis was trying to say but loved teasing him.

Ignis just huffed and brushed his fringe back. "Gladio…"

"Yeah?"

"Do shut up."

Gladio hadn't really noticed Ignis' close proximity until gloved hands cupped his cheeks, pulling him down into a chaste kiss, when Ignis went to pull away Gladio grabbed the front of his shirt and waistcoat to pull him back in for another. Brief and innocent they may be, but Gladio knew he'd never get enough of this, quickly realising a side effect of Ignis' caffeine addiction. He tasted like coffee.

Eventually Gladio released his grip and allowed Ignis to step back, cheeks flushed a bright red. It was then Ignis looked concerned since Gladio started crying, he couldn't help it, after so long of pining and brooding things seemed to be fixed.

"Gladio? Are you alright? I… Didn't mean to offend-" Ignis was cut off in his apology by a bear hug, of a sort at least.

"I ain't sad or offended, I'm happy, I get what you wanna say, loud and clear. Your uncle's gonna be pissed at you." Gladio mumbled, burying his face in tawny locks with a smile.

Ignis scoffed and wriggled free of Gladio's arms to hand him a handkerchief. "I'd expect nothing less, but that doesn't matter now, I'll deal with the consequences later. I'm just sorry I reacted as I did before, I hope you can forgive me."

"You're the smartest person I know, but you can be such an idiot sometimes, Iggy. I never hated you for it, not really, I told myself I could get over it but… I'm glad you're a hard person to let go of."

"I feel like I should be offended, though I'll take that as a good thing. I loathe to ruin the moment but, perhaps we should go, lest the Marshal have our hides for being late."

Gladio froze and checked the time, both of them rushing down to the car, speeding off after chucking Ignis' bag in the back. Even though he was driving, Gladio couldn't keep his eyes on the road, he was drawn to the boy beside him. Ignis smiled at him when he was caught staring, not that fake smile he'd perfected these past few weeks, but the smile Gladio thought was lost. Turns out it was reserved just for him.


	7. Chapter 7

p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The weeks and months that followed went by quickly, one might say all too smoothly. Especially since Ignis had given his uncle the biggest 'fuck you' he dared and broke off his engagement, without permission. So far it seems as though no-one knew about it apart from those involved and those that swore to keep it to themselves. /spanstrong id="docs-internal-guid-a5c618c8-7fff-537f-84c0-d1d70c166339" style="font-weight: normal;"/strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Clarus and Iris secretly had a bet going on behind Gladio's back, they wagered who would make the first move, the stakes; If Iris lost she'd do her homework without protest for a month, if she won, she got all the sweets she wanted for a month. Needless to say, Clarus betting on Gladio was a bad move on his part. Now he'd have one lovesick child and another suffering with diabetes and cavities. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Not that he minded of course, his son had finally stopped moping around and Iris had stopped her plots and schemes, at least he thought so. She would always plan something or other, whether it was good or bad depended on her mood and how much she wanted to irritate her brother. More often than not it was just her making up some dire excuse for him to stop by Ignis' apartment, pretending to be said person to make it more authentic. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"One such prank she executed perfectly a little while ago, Gladio obviously rushing off to help his boyfriend. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wait- So you didn't need me to help rearrange the living room?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No…? It seems you've been fooled once again, Iris is no doubt becoming quite convincing in her impersonations of me." Ignis said, glancing up from his laptop briefly, watching as Gladio mumbled about stopping her snack supply and settled down in the chair beside him. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'm not complaining, means I get to see you but you're always busy so I feel bad, should mention that to the little minx." Gladio let out an exasperated sigh and started toying with the chain on Ignis' USB stick. "In fact, now that I'm here you're not allowed to work. C'mere!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No! I have to finish this report!" Ignis grabbed his laptop and fled to his bedroom as Gladio made to catch him. Thankfully for Ignis he was faster than the Shield and it took Gladio a second to realise he had to run after him, faster he may be but with long strides and a knack for being surprising, Gladio actually managed to snag the back of Ignis' shirt and pull him into his arms. "Gladio! Put me down!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"With a chuckle Gladio plucked the laptop from Ignis iron grasp, placing it on the table and hauling the Adviser over his shoulder, forcing him to watch as his laptop grew further out of his reach. "Nah-uh Iggy, you work non-stop, time for some well-earned 'Gladio snuggles'."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Have I mentioned I hate you sometimes? And really, 'Gladio snuggles'?" The sarcasm was short lived and replaced with a high-pitched yelp as Gladio dropped him on his bed, the latter quickly locked the door behind him with a coy grin. "That was rather brutish of you."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah well, you secretly love it."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"That was all Gladio said before pouncing on Ignis, keeping him in a tight embrace so despite all escape attempts, resistance was futile. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"-/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A while later at the Citadel/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""He did what?! Clarus how long have you known about this?" Berin practically shouted, the King's Shield didn't waver however. Ignis' uncle wasn't exactly a threatening looking man and Clarus was more than a match for him if it came down to it, after all, Berin had only undergone basic Crownsguard training back in the day. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I would have thought you'd be happy Berin, Ignis is young and he is capable of deciding his own future." Clarus said in a tone that infuriated the old Adviser, it's a tone his nephew used often and it usually earned him a clip on the ear. "Had I done something similar with Gladiolus, he would've rebelled in the same way, if not worse. I've forced a professional future upon him already, I needn't force him to marry for mutual benefit, that is his choice."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""My brother wouldn't have it if he had raised the boy and neither will I, I doubt your father was so lenient with you."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""My marriage isn't your concern. Nonetheless, you didn't raise him did you? With the amount of tutors that boy has had and the responsibilities placed upon him, he may as well have raised himself, His Majesty had more to do with him than you did." Clarus retorted. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That is an effect of being born into my family. Your boy was born into a family of warriors, my nephew is no different apart from being born a scholar. The education he had was a necessity that you Shield may not fully appreciate." The anger in Berin's voice slowly became more and more apparent, ticking off someone so composed was something Clarus secretly enjoyed. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It may surprise you to know, my son is well-read in retrospect and Ignis is very proficient in combat as well as being obscenely intellectual. That boy is more of a son to Regis and I over you, somehow he seems to be a burden on you. Have you ever seen him smile for goodness sake?" /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Of course I have! I'll ha-" Berin was forced to cease his outburst when Regis entered the room, Ignis in tow and Gladio guarding the door. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Gentlemen. I think it's time to settle this matter, sit down all of you, Gladiolus, this includes you." Regis spoke softly but there was a seriousness in his words that registered to all of them. So, the five of them sat around the table. Ignis beside Gladio, Regis at the head of the table and Berin beside Clarus. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""With all due respect Your Majesty, this is a family matter, you needn't trouble yourself with something so trivial." Berin said quietly, unsure if he was out of place./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Nonsense. Out of the public eye Ignis is as much a son to me as Noctis is, if there is a problem I will intervene, especially if it will have an impact on how Noctis' retainers perform, that in turn affects my son." Regis remarked, Clarus eyeing Berin with clear amusement at his speechlessness. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Both Gladio and Ignis remained silent with their gazes focused on either the table, clock or their lap, not wanting to start any arguments, or be here in the first place for that matter. Clarus knowingly messaged Gladio when Regis proposed a meeting about the situation, assuming he'd be with the usual culprit, asking him to bring Ignis along. Needless to say neither of them wanted to be here, especially under this pretense but as Ignis said a while ago, he'd deal with the consequences. Though it's unlikely he thought he'd be sat in a conference room with his uncle, Clarus Amicitia, Gladio and his King over the matter, it wasn't exactly so important to require the King's input. Or so he thought./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""As you wish, Your Majesty. Thought I fail to see what more there is to say on the subject." Berin spoke with caution now that Regis was in the room, choosing his words carefully to avoid unwanted disputes. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""There is a great deal more to say, however I haven't the energy to list everything that could be said, so I'll get to the point." Regis' gaze shifted from Berin, to Clarus, who nodded in silent agreement, to Gladio briefly and then finally to rest on Ignis. "As someone who knows both these boys as well as my own son, I believe they'll do what's right for themselves, regardless of what you say Berin."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Regis stopped and left time for an argument from any of them, Clarus shared his mindset though in that he thought the boys should have freedom in choosing partners. Ignis looked red as the ripest tomato, Gladio looked ready to pick him up and bolt, Berin simply looked indifferent given he was probably furious. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Furthermore, I overheard Noctis and his friend conversing about this very issue, if my son is willing to accept- support in fact- such a relationship between his future retainers, I don't see why there is a problem. Berin, you were once a young man, I'm sure you can understand the joys of first love." Regis tried to reason with the better and younger part of Berin, the part that had long been buried in favour of his duties and retaining a professional demeanour. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"With a hefty sigh Berin seemed to concede, eyeing his nephew for a moment but relinquishing his hard stare not a second later. "Indeed but that was a different matter, I was infatuated with a woman, meaning I was able to carry on my line. Being with a man simply ensures that won't happen and I cannot stand idly by while my House ceases."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"In truth, Berin did marry but he didn't have children and Ignis was an only child, thus making him the sole person to be able to carry on the main Scientia line, a huge weight on a young man. Unless of course his uncle remarried and managed to have children of his own, though the prospect is highly unlikely given his social preferences./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Are you really willing to risk breaking something so fragile for the sake of mutual benefit and sustainability? Clarus and I are empathetic to your position Berin but there are other means of continuing a noble house, means that do not include resorting to the old ways." Regis looked at Gladio and Ignis as he said that, as if illustrating his point. "With that in mind, I doubt these two are even considering marriage at this point, they're young and while they have obligations, I'm sure there'll be no problems in keeping professional and personal apart. That being said, there is ample time for change and you may be surprised, if not, you must learn to accept their choice."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Regis was being very forward and wise with his words. So much so that Clarus could only stare at the old adviser with a smug face, fuelling his irritation more than he thought possible. "Very well. I see there is little point in arguing about this any longer. I confess, I hadn't thought about my nephew's well-being to begin with, I still stand by my choice to arrange a marriage but I also understand that the youth these days have considerably more freedom than in previous years."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Gladio saw fit to let out the breath he was holding when Berin left, Clarus flashing a smile at him before he too left the room, leaving the young men with Regis. "I meant what I said, I trust the both of you to do what is right and remember to keep your professional and personal lives apart. Good luck to both of you, Ignis, I'll see you tomorrow for updates on Noctis, Gladiolus, take care." /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"With a soft smile, Regis also left the room. Ignis eventually returned to his natural complexion, Gladio laughing at him as he calmed down. "Wanna grab a coffee? Look like you could use one right now."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ignis simply nodded frantically and almost ran out of the room, not looking back since he could hear Gladio on his heels, the memory of the past half an hour will be subsequently wiped from his mind. /span/p 


End file.
